Filing device



Feb. 16 1960 L. PILKINTON FILING DEVICE Filed July 14, 1958 FIG.3

IN VEN TOR. LLOYD L.PlLKlNTO!N ATTORNEY 2,925,085 FILING DEv'I'cn Lloyd L. Pilkint on, Nashville, Tenn. Application July 14, ass, seen No. 748,401

8 Claims. c1.129--7 This invention relates to a filing device and more particularly to a device for safely filing sheet material, such asp H r,

One object of this invention is to provide a safety device for irnpaling sheets of material, such as paper, in a stack upon a spike or pin. 7 p

Another object of this invention is to provide; a device for filing papers upon a spike without danger of the spike injuring the operator.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device for filing paper having, a spike and a puri'ch for engaging the spike and means for locking the punch in operative position over the spike. N V V A further object of this invention is to provide a device for filing sheet material, such as paper, comprising a spike and a reciprocable punch adapted to telese'opingly engage the spike and means for locking the punch in operative position and for unlocking and vertically pivoting the punch away from the spike to permit the removal of the paper therefrom.

Another object of this invention isto provide a device for filing sheet material, such as paper, which is safe and easy to operate and economical to manufacture.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, whereini Fig. 1 is a perspective view bf the, invention} Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the invention, with parts broken away to disclose the punch head pivoted to its inoperative position; i

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the invention with the punch head entirely in section (and in its elevated position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 disclosing the punch head partly broken away and in operative position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 disclosing the punch head in operative position and the punch plunger pressed down to telescopingly engage the spike; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation disclosing a modified form of the punch plunger.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a base of any suitable type, such as the circular metal plate 10, supports an upstanding spike 11. Also mounted in an upstanding position in the base 10 and spaced from the spike 11 is a post 12 extending above the tip of the spike 11.

As best disclosed in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the upper portion of the post 12 is flattened on both sides to provide a tongue 13 having substantially parallel faces and intersecting the main body of the post 12 in substantially flat shoulders 14 perpendicular to the faces of the tongue 13. Formed in the tongue 13 is a vertically disposed elongated slot 15.

Adapted to be mounted on top of the post 12 is a punch head 16 having an enlarged socket 17 in one end and the bottom thereof for slideably receiving the tongue 13. To connect the punch head 16 to the post 12, a pivot pin 18 extends through the walls of the socket 17 and the elongated slot 15. The dimensions of the socket 17 are such as to provide free vertical pivotal movement of the punch ite States PatetitO'ice Patented Feb. is, 1980 2 need 16 about the tongue 13 while the punch head 16 is in its elevated position disclosed in Figs. 2 and 3, with the pivot pin 18 in the upper portion of the slot 15. The extent of the pivotal movement should be suflicient to per- Init removal of sheet material from the spike 11.

, In the upper portion of the socket 17, a recess 19 is provided to seat the upper portion of the tongue 13 when the punch head 16 is in its lowered position as disclosed in Fig. 4. erms position, the relative dimensions of the tongue 13, the socket 17 and the recess 19 are such as to permit the substantially flat bottom portions 20 of the socket walls to seat flush against the shoulders 14. With the punoh head 16 lowered to this position, disclosed in Fig. 4, the punch head is firmly seated upon the post 12 and locked in operative position to prevent pivotal movement.

Slideably mounted to reciprocate within the recess 24 is the punch plunger 25. The upper end of the plunger 25 comprises a handle or knob 26 for pressing the plunger down. A spring 27 is coiled about the upper portion of the plunger 25 and seated in the recess 28 for biasing the plunger upward to an inoperative position. The lower portion of the plunger is enlarged at 29 and adapted to be received in the enlarged recess 30 in the bottom of the punch head 16. The bottom portion of the plunger 29 is provided with a recess 31 which is adapted to telescope over thetop of the spike 11 when the plunger is depressed. The bottom face of the plunger 29 may be tapered as at 32 in Figs. 3 and 5, for cooperation with a flat spike tip 33, or it may be substantially perpendicular to the axis of the plunger as diselesed at 32 in Fig. 6, for cooperation with a pointed up 33 From the above description, the operation of the device will e ame readily epparent. In order to file a sheet of paper upon the spike 1 1, the operator lowers the punch head 16 into its locked operative position disclosed in Fig. 4. The sheet 'of paper is then slipped in between the tip of the spike 11 and the bottom of the punch head 16 and held in that position. With the other hand, the operator depresses the knob 26 to the position disclosed in Fig. 5 whereby the plunger 25 descends until the plunger recess 31telescopingly engages the top bf the spike 11, simultaneously compressing the spring' 27. The engagement of the plunger recess 31 with the top of the spike 11 impales the paper upon the spike, either by the shearing action of the tapered bottom 32 with a flat tip 33, or by the piercing action of the pointed tip 33 with the flat bottom 32 When the knob 26 is released, the plunger 25 returns to its retracted position disclosed in Fig. 4. This operation may be repeated for filing additional sheets of paper. I When it is desired to remove the impaled sheets of paper from the spike 11, the punch head 16 is raised to the position disclosedin Fig. 3 and then pivoted upward and away from the spike 1 1 to the position disclosed in Fig. 2. With the punch head 16 in its vertically "raised and pivoted inoperative position, a stack of paper may be easily removed from the spike 11. When the papers are removed, the punch head 16 may be returned to its locked operative position disclosed in Fig. 4 for filing additional sheets.

When the punch head 16 is in its locked operative position, the top of the spike 11 is shielded to prevent the operator of the device from accidentally injuring himself on the spike during the manipulation of the device.

This device provides many advantages both in economy of manufacture and simplicity of operation over similar devices heretofore known. For example, with the punch head 16 in operative position, the operator by merely sliding his thumb upward along the post may simultaneously raise and pivot backward the punch head in a single continuous motion. Also, by the punch head 16 being vertically pivoted to the post 12, as opposed to being horizontally rotatable about the top of the post, the plunger 25 is always in the same vertical plane as the spike 11, and its vertical alignment with the spike 11 in operative position is consequently assured. The ability to vertically pivot the punch head 16 away from the spike 11 provides better accessibility to the spike for removing the paper sheets. If the punch head were horizontally rotatable about the top of the post 12, it would have to be rotated at least 90 degrees before the papers could be removed from the spike 11 without bending or wrinkling the sheets of paper, whereas the amount of vertical pivotal movement of the punch head 12 in the instant device is governed by the thickness of the sheets of paper to be removed from the spike 11. k

. It is also within the scope of this invention to mount the base on a wall so that the spike 11 and post 12 are substantially horizontal, with the post 12 disposed above the spike 11. In this position, the punch head 16 will normally pivot downward by gravity to always cover the point of the spike 11, unless the punch head is held in its raised pivoted position.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention, without defparting from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimedis:

1. A device for filing papers comprising a base, a spike mounted thereon, a post mounted on said base spaced from and extending beyond the tip of said spike, a punch head mounted on said post, means for providing limited displacement of said punch head longitudinally of said post from a retracted locked operative position to an extended unlocked position, means for pivoting said punch head in a plane containing said post and said spike when said punch head is in its extended position, means for locking said punch 'head in its operative position, and a punch reciprocatingly mounted in said head to coact with said spike when said punch head is inoperative position.

2. A device for filing papers comprising a base, an upstanding spike mounted thereon, a post mounted on said base spaced from and extending above the tip of said spike, a punch'head, means for mounting said punch head on said post comprising a tongue forming the upper end of said post and a socket in the bottom of said punch head for slideably' and pivotally receiving said tongue, means I for slideably and pivotally connecting said tongue within said socket, a recess in the upper portion of said socket for seating the upper portion of said tongue to lock the punch head againstpivotal movement its operative position, and a punch reciprocatingly mounted in said head to coact wlth said spike when said punch head is in operative position.

3. A device for filing papers comprising a base, an up standing spike mounted thereon, a post mounted on said base spaced from and extending above the tip of said spike, a punch head, means for mounting said punch head on said post comprising a tongue forming the upper end of said post flattened on both sides containing a vertical elongated slot therethrough, said punch head having a socket in the bottom thereof for slideably receiving said tongue, a pivot pin extending through the walls of said socket and the slot in said tongue, a recess in the upper portion of said socket for seating the upper portion of said tongue to lock the punch head against pivotal movement in its operative position, and a punch reciprocatingly mounted in said head to coact with said spike when said punch head is in operative position.

4. The invention according to claim 3 in which substantially fiat shoulders are formed in said post at the base of and at right angles to the flattened sides of said tongue, the bottom of the socket walls of said punch head being substantially flat to abut flush against the post shoulders when the top of said tongue is seated in said recess in order to stabilize the punch head against pivotal movement in operative position.

5. A device for filing papers comprising a base, a spikemounted thereon, a post mounted on said base spaced from and extending beyond the tip of said spike, a punch head mounted on said post to pivot in a plane containing catingly mounted in said head to coact with said spike when said punch head is in operative position.

6. The invention according to claim 5 in which the means for restraining pivotal movement of said punch head comprises substantially flat shoulders formed transversely of said post, and the bottom of said punch head also being substantially flat to abut flush against said shoulders when said punch head is in operative position. -7. The invention according to claim 5 in which the means for restraining pivotal movement of said punch head comprises a tongue forming the extended end of said post and a socket in the bottom of said punch head for pivotally receiving said tongue, a pin pivotally connecting said tongue and said socket, substantially flat shoulders formed transversely in said post at the base of said tongue, and the bottom of said punch head adjacent said socket also being'substantially flat to abut flush against said shoulders when said punch head is in operative position. 8. The invention according to claim 5 in which the punch comprises a plunger having a beveled bottom surface and a recess extending axially therein, the tip of said spike being flat and substantially normal to the axis of said spike and adapted to be telescopingly received by said recess when said plunger is depressed and said punch head "is in operative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

